Park City, Utah (December 17, 2023) – USA Nordic Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined athletes competed in different World and Continental Cup competitions around the world this weekend. Women’s Nordic Combined athlete Annika Malacinski highlighted the weekend, notching two top-ten finishes at the World Cup events in Ramsau, Austria.
Men’s Nordic Combined
Men’s Nordic Combined competed in two different World Cup events this weekend in Ramsau, Austria, starting off with a Mass Start HS98/10km World Cup on Friday, December 15th. In the 10km Mass Start, Stephen Schumann finished 13th (27:51.4), with Niklas Malacinski close behind in 19th (28:13.4). Ben Loomis then finished in 41st (29:07.8), with Grant Andrews coming in 43rd (29:32.3), as athletes then moved to the HS98 portion of the competition. On the hill, Malacinski was able to jump to 82.0 meters (99.9 total points), placing 19th overall and recording a new World Cup personal best finish. Schumann finished 23rd overall, after going 75.5 meters, which gave him 91.1 total points on the day. Loomis placed 33rd overall, as he put together an 83.5 meter jump fir 83.0 total points. Andrews then recorded his first-ever individual World Cup points, finishing in 38th place, after going 82.0 meters for 74.6 total points.
The final World Cup event of the weekend came on Saturday, December 16th, as athletes competed in the Compact HS98/7.5km event. Loomis recorded the best jump of the day, going 90.5 meters for 116.9 points, putting him in the 25th position. Andrews had the second-best jump, as he went 88.5 meters for 112.8 points, putting him in the 30th position for the 7.5km. Malacinski landed in 33rd, after going 87.5 meters for 109.7 points. Schumann rounded things out, jumping to 81.0 meters for 98.0 points, putting him in the 46th position for the 7.5km. Malacinski then skied up in the 7.5km race, finishing 26th overall with a total time of 17:20.9. Schumann skied up from 46th, finishing the 7.5km with a total time of 17:30.4, earning a 35th place finish. Loomis finished in 37th with a time of 18:05.6, followed by Andrews in 50th (18:56.0 total time).
Women’s Nordic Combined
Women’s Nordic Combined got things started in Ramsau, Austria, with an HS98/5km World Cup on Friday, December 15th. Due to strong winds, the PCR jump was used for the World Cup competition. In the PCR on Thursday, Annika Malacinski jumped to 84.0 meters for 96.5 points, putting her in 13th place for the 5km race. Alexa Brabec jumped to 24th, after going 69.0 meters for 64.1 points. In the 5km, Malacinski skied up three positions to 10th place, finishing the race in 15:43.3 and recording a new World Cup personal best with her first-ever top-ten finish. Brabec then skied up two positions, finishing the 5km in 22nd place, after she finished the race in 16:03.6.
Competition concluded on Saturday, December 16th, as athletes participated in the Compact HS98/5km World Cup. Malacinski continued her great performance, jumping to 11th overall, after going 87.0 meters for 102.3 points. Brabec then jumped to 75.5 meters for 81.3 points, putting her in the 23rd position for the 5km race. Malacinski was yet again able to ski up three positions, finishing the race in 8th place, as she recorded another World Cup personal best (13:49.3 total time). Brabec then recorded a World Cup personal best of her own, finishing the 5km in 18th place, as she finished the race in 14:03.4.
“I honestly didn’t even that I could have results like this, it’s an amazing feeling and confident booster to know that all the work paid off in the end,” said USA Nordic Athlete, Annika Malacinski. “But most importantly, my mindset and mental side has played a big role in my recent success. I am a strong believer of being not only physically strong, but also mentally strong.”
Men’s Ski Jumping
Men’s Ski Jumping got things started on Friday, December 15th, as athletes competed in the HS140 Qualification in Engelberg, Switzerland. Tate Frantz was the first to qualify, placing 43rd overall, as he went 127.5 meters for 135.2 points. Erik Belshaw finished 46th overall, jumping to 124.5 meters for 132.9 points, with Andrew Urlaub qualifying in the 50th position (121.5 meters, 130.3 points). Casey Larson finished just outside of qualification in 51st place, going 118.0 meters for 123.7 points. During the Individual HS140 World Cup on Saturday, December 16th, Frantz recorded the highest finish of the day in 39th, as he went 117.0 meters for 123.1 points. Belshaw finished in 43rd (113.0 meters, 112.8 points), and Urlaub finished in 44th (112.5 meters, 111.9 points).
The final events of the weekend came on Sunday, December 17th, as athletes started the day with another HS140 Qualification. Urlaub Qualified in 46th (110.0 meters, 103.2 points), with Belshaw (106.0 meters, 96.9 points) and Frantz (108.5 meters, 96.9 points) tying for 50th place. During the Individual HS140 World Cup, Urlaub finished in 44th (121.5 meters, 125.3 points), with Belshaw coming in 47th (110.0 meters, 113.4 points) and Frantz coming in 50th (115.0 meters, 107.9 points).
Decker Dean then represented Men’s Ski Jumping at the Continental Cup events in Ruka, Finland. On Friday, December 15th, Dean placed 30th overall in the HS142 COC, going 129.5 meters in the first round and 88.0 meters in the second round, for a total of 173.8 points. The final HS142 COC came on Saturday, December 16th, as Dean placed 25th overall. Dean jumped to 123.5 meters in the first round, and followed it up with a 129.0 meter jump in the second round, giving him 227.9 total points.
Women’s Ski Jumping
Paige Jones and Sam Macuga represented Women’s Ski Jumping at the World Cup events in Engelberg, Switzerland, as they got things started with an HS140 Qualification on Friday, December 14th. Jones was able to qualify in 30th place, jumping to 104.5 meters for 68.6 points. Macuga finished in 50th, as she jumped to 89.5 meters for 42.7 points. The action continued on Saturday, December 15th, as Jones placed 28th overall in the Individual HS140 World Cup. Jones went 110.5 meters in the first round, and followed up with a 112.5 meter jump in the second round, giving her 218.1 points on the day as she earned her second World Cup points of the season.
Jones was yet again able to qualify on Saturday, December 16th, as she finished 33rd overall (122.5 meters, 113.0 points) in the HS140 Qualification. Macuga finished in 51st, going 102.5 meters for 79.7 points. Later in the day, during the Individual HS140 World Cup, Jones finished 36th overall. Jones jumped to 112.0 meters for 103.8 points, as she was unable to advance to the final round.
Estella Hassrick then represented Women’s Ski Jumping at the Inter-Continental Cup events in Notodden, Norway. During the first HS98 ICOC on Friday, December 15th, Hassrick went 75.5 meters in the first round, and followed up with a 80.0 meter jump in the final round. This gave her 176.3 total points on the day, as she recorded a new ICOC personal best, placing 11th overall. Hassrick then recorded another ICOC personal best on Saturday, December 16th, placing 10th overall in the HS98 ICOC. Hassrick jumped to 78.5 meters and 80.0 meters, giving her 172.3 total points on the day.
Results
Men’s & Women’s Nordic Combined – Ramsau World Cups
Men’s & Women’s Ski Jumping – Engelberg World Cups
